“Hey Bob, have you ever noticed how… convenient things have been? Overly friendly murderous guild reps. Enemies just tough enough to make me sweat, not enough to kill me. And you, always cracking jokes until something actually matters.”
He took a deep drink. Just like he’d always imagined beer would taste, never having actually bought a gluten-free beer before.
Bob arched an eyebrow, the ghost of a grin twitching at the corner of his mouth.
Bob:
“Maybe I am,” James said. “Maybe I’ve been testing you since Garron tried to mug me.”
He leaned forward. “Look, I’ll be honest. The thought of anyone being able to hear my thoughts all the time… it freaks me out. I get the impression you already know how I feel about it. Is there a middle ground we could achieve without me having to go into combat every time? Something where I can think freely when I want, without you constantly tuned in?”
Bob sighed and took a deep drink as well.
Bob:
James frowned. “That sounds ominous.”
Bob:
“My what?”
Bob gestured vaguely in the air.
Bob:
James checked his interface, and sure enough, the Quests tab was there.
Tutorial Complete: Survive Initial Encounters
System Autonomy Unlocked
“Tutorial?” James muttered.
Bob:
Bob drank deeply again. James followed suit.
Bob:
Bob leaned back in his chair.
Bob:
James stared at the glowing prompt for a moment too long.
Trait Activated – Wait—NO!
Effect: Tutorial quest handed in. Rewards granted.
Bob sighed.
Bob:
Bob shook his head.
Bob:
He shook his head again, slower this time.
Bob:
James blinked. “…Then I want to keep you a bit longer.”
Bob chuckled.
Bob: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea? Yeah. You do not want that. Do the quests, do the dungeon. Gear up. It matters. All of this matters.
Bob:
“Family and friends still alive?”
Bob:
“Is Garron real?”
Bob:
“What’s happening back home?”
Bob’s eyes twinkled.
Bob:
“Any advice?”
Bob: Squire, and any bonds you may get to 100% before you try carding her.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
Bob:Well… the System’s doing most of the heavy lifting.
“What about the other Commanders?”
Bob:
“I think I see where that’s going.”
Bob:
“And Garron?”
Bob:
Bob stood, draining his bottle.
Bob:
The bottle hit the table with a solid thunk, and Bob was gone.
James let out a slow breath. “Knew it. Things were going too well.”
Tutorial Completed. Quest Automatically Handed In.
Full System Character Sheet and Tabs Unlocked.
Commander Rewards:
- Basic cards no longer require a Death-Marked Slot.
- +1 to all stats.
The sheets opened before him, clean and clinical. No margin notes. No sarcastic commentary. Just quiet numbers.
For the first time, the Commander’s Space was his alone.
Title: Level: Race: Faction: System Access:
Affiliations
Guild: Contracted With: Standing: Guild Boons Received:
- Lodging:
- Gear:
- Secrecy Clause:
- Buyback Option:
- Gear:
(Permanent +1 to all stats from Tutorial Completion)
- Might:
- Agility:
- Endurance:
- Mind:
- Perception:
- Will:
- Presence: +1
- Agility:
Passive Effects
- Focused Enhancement (Basic)
- Wait—NO!
- Commander’s Space
- Balanced Boost:
- Focused Boost:
- Augment:
- Imprint:
- Cleanse:
- Focused Boost:
- Inventory Slots:
- Death-Marked Deck Slots:
- Bond Slots:
- Active Cards:
- Death-Marked Deck Slots:
- Card Mini-Worlds (Basic)
- Trigger Slot (1)On Proximity (2m)
- Inventory Management:
- Play Card:
- Trigger Configuration:
- Map Use:
- Play Card:
- Deck Management:
Garron, Highway Footpad
- Category:
- Rarity:
- Type:
- Slots Required:
- Abilities:
- Traits:
- Size:
- Weight:
- Level Requirement:
- Uses Remaining:
- Rarity:
Squire (Squirrel Kit)
- Category:
- Rarity:
- Type:
- Slots Required:
- Abilities:
- Traits:
- Size:
- Weight:
- Level Requirement:
- Uses Remaining:
- Rarity:
Thorncat
- Category:
- Rarity:
- Type:
- Slots Required:
- Abilities:
- Traits:
- Size:
- Weight:
- Level Requirement:
- Uses Remaining:
- Rarity:
Tiny Redback Spider
- Category:
- Rarity:
- Type:
- Slots Required:
- Abilities:
- Traits:
- Size:
- Weight:
- Level Requirement:
- Uses Remaining:
- Rarity:
- Backpack (1 slot)
- Waterskin x 1
- Jerky × 8
- Bedroll
- Flint & Steel
- Rope (15m)
- Tin pot
- Spoon & knife
- Tin of Healing Balm (nearly empty)
- Spare clothes
- Empty pouch
Slots used:
Funds
Gold: 50
Silver: 0
Copper: 0
Guild Quest:
- Reward:
- Time remaining:
The stat boost hit, and everything changed.
Unless he was lying comatose somewhere, getting an adrenaline dump from a hospital IV, this was real.
+1 to all stats sounded so simple. So basic. .
Until the noise in his head dropped out, the world stopped rushing past, and he was just… here.
In that moment of peace, the white noise was gone.
The air hit differently. Musky, earthy, and a little sour, like damp fur left too long in the dark. The moss pressed against his back, springy and cool. His shirt clung in patches, scratchy and still faintly damp from sweat or river water or both.
Birdsong rang sharper now. Not louder. Just clearer. Like someone had turned the treble up. Deeper in the forest, something chirped in threes. And for once, he clocked every note.
The light pressed against his skin, soft and comforting. Each flick of wind stirred the hairs on his arm.
And beneath it all, he rediscovered his body, piece by piece, with each pulse of his heart.
“Okay,” he muttered. “This is a bit terrifying.”
He opened his eyes. The connection to both the forest and the Commander’s Space slipped. The chamber was still and the white noise returned. The moment gone, like waking from a dream he couldn’t force his way back into.
New Skill Progress Noted – Split Presence (Passive):
He was so caught up in the boost that he missed the moment the Card: Thorncat
??? System Log: Squire has exited Tutorial Mode.
...but nobody told her. Expect erratic critter behaviour.